Traction-engine.



J. H. AUF DER HAAR.

TRACTION ENGINE.

A PLICATION FILED MAR. 27. I916.

mmssa. Patented Mar. 27,1917.

3- smears-sum I.

J. H.,AUF DER HAAR.

TRACTION ENGINE. A PLICATION FILED MAR, 27. 1916.

mmsas. Patented Mar. 27,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. H. AUF DER HAAR.

TRACTION ENGrNE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1916.

mmssa JOEN' H. AUF DER HAAR, or- CHICAGO, rumors.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Mar. 27, 1191?.

Application filedMarcli 27, 1916. Serial No. 86,940. I

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. A'or one,

HAA ,.a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Traction-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompany-ing sheet of drawing, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to. im provements in traction engines; and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, .as hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims.

The object of this invention is the production of an efiicient, serviceable, convenient, durable, and reasonably cheap traction en gine for general farm and road purposes, in which the steering is entirely accomplished by the traction means.

In the drawings. already referred to,

' which serve to illustrate this invention more .fully, and which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved traction engine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Fig. 4 is aside elevation, partly in section, of this machine. a

Like parts are designated by the same characters and symbols of reference in all the figu A, in the drawings designates the mainframe of this tractor. It cgmprises, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, an annular ring 12, which ring has two rear-' wardly extending lugs 13, 14, to which channel irons 15, 16, are secured by bolts or rivets 17; said channels forming the sides of the main frame, and they are, at their rearextremities, connected by an, prefera ably, I-beam 18. At each end of the channels 15, 16, there is a downwardly extending channel, '19, 20, which channels are, approximately medially, connected-by an I-beam 21, as shown in solid lines, in Fig. 3, and in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Inthese channels 19, 20, there are at their lower extremities bearings 22, in which there are securely fastened stub-axles 23, 24. Upon these stub-axles there are rotatably mounted trailing wheels 25, 26, which wheels support the main frame at its 'which plates form the rear-end. Suitable braces 27, reaching from the lower extremities of the; downwardly pending channels 19, 20, to their respective channels 15, 16, of the main frame, to

strengthen the structure, are provided.

The forwardly located annular ring 12, shown in section in Fig. 4, is preferably a steel casting having a U-shaped cross section, thereby affording an annular groove or raceway 27, into which enters an annular rojeotion 28, which projection is preferably ormed integral with an annular ring 29, of substantially the same contour as the annular ring 12, to which the annular ring 29 is,

however, not fastened, but underneath of which the latter ring is free to rotate.

Longitudinally disposed under the annul lar ring 29, and in parallel spaced relation, there 'are two channels or angles 32, 33,

securely fastened to the annular ring 29 by bolts or rivets 30; and to these members 32, 33, are secured upstanding plates 34, 35,

pedestal for a preferably internal combustlon engine B,-and a support for the radiator (1. These upstand ing plates have at their upper margins angles 36, 37, and to these angles is preferably secured a horizontal plate 38, upon which said motor and the radiator are mounted. vAt the lowerortion of upstanding plate 34 there is a xed'an angle 39, constructed to support a platform 40.

The annular ring 12, is, in fact, an internal gear wheel, 1t having gear teeth or cogs 41, and upon the platform40 there is mounted a steering post 42, having at its upper end a steering wheel 43, and at 'its lower extremity a gear pinion 44, which pinion meshes with the internal gear 41.

Pending from the annular ring 29, at diametrically opposed points, there are bearings 45, 46, within which a rotatably mounted shaft 47, is journaled; and medially upon this shaft there is aflixed a traction wheel 48, of. any approved design, the one shown being intended to represent' a heavy truck wheel. Adjacent to this truck wheel there is located a gear-case 49, in which there is located a worm wheel 52, attached to the shaft 47; and a worm 53, securedto an obliquely arranged shaft 54. This shaft 54 is rotated by the motor'B, in the following manner:

Upon the crank shaft 55 of the motor B, and near one extremity thereof there are two oppositely located bevel gear wheels 56,

f'com'plish the desired result.

57, and meshing with both of these bevel wheels, there is a third bevel wheel 58, which latter bevel wheel is fixedly connected to the upper end of the oblique shaft54.

The bevel wheels 56 and 57 are loosely mounted on crank shaft 55, and between oblique shaft 54 will be rotated in one dir'ection, and by shifting the clutch member 59 to engage the clutch member on the bevel wheel 57; said oblique shaft will rotate in the opposite direction. In the present instance I have indicated these clutch members as being of the friction type of clutches; but it is evident that other well-known types of clutches may be introduced to accomplish the function in view.

The outer end of the crank shaft 55, where the bevel wheels are located, is supported in a bracket 61, which bracket has also a bearing 62, to support the upper end of the oblique shaft 54.

When used for traction purposes, a draw bar, not shown, may be connected to the hitching means 63, at the rear end of the main frame; and for plowing, or similar work, saidagricultural implements may be hitched or attached. to the I-beam 21; but when used as a truck, suitable means, such as indicated in Fig. 4 at D, may be introduced, which means may be a wagon platform, or an inclosure, toobtain the desired object. And in order that the motor pedestal and the platform be properly braced to avoid undue vibration, and efliciently support the platform braces 84, 8'5, and 86, Figs. 2 and 3 are suitably located on the machine to ac It is, of course, evident that for the purpose of a successful traction engine, suitable provisions must be made for lubrication, for

carryingla water supply, braking mechanism, engine starting mechanism, magneto, and the many! other auxiliarieswhich are required in a traction engine; but since these devices are all well known, and do not form a part of this invention, I have omitted'to show them-in this case. I

In operation, this tractor is governed by an operator who is seated on the seat E, and who has the several. instrumentalities required to manipulate the machine within easy reach; he first places the clutch 59 in neutral position by the hand lever 60, to allow the motor B to start without a load. Then he moves the lever 63, by which the comprising a proper direction to rotate the oblique shaft, and through the worm gearing to rotate the traction wheel, The steering is entirely and exclusively accomplished by the hand'wheel 43, which through the intermedium of the steering post 34 and the pinion 44, engaging the internal gearing 41, causes the traction wheel 48 to assume an oblique position with respect to the longitudinal center line of the machine, either to the right orto the left, as the case may. be, which will produce a corresponding movement of the tractor in a -''manner readily comprehended.

I have hereinbefore disclosed the preferred mode of practising my invention, but I re serve the right to make such and any changes as, might occur to one skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, or to make any and all such alterations as may be permitted under the doctrine of equivalents.

Having thus fully described my invention I claim as new, .and desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent of the United States: v

1. A traction engine, including, in combination, a main frame, said main frame forwardly located annular ring, said annular ring being provided with cogs on its inner margin, there being rearwardly extending lugs on said ring, channels secured to said lugs, a crossbar connecting the rear extremities of said channels, downwardly pending members at the extremities of said channels, stub-axles proj ecting laterally from said downwardly projecting members, trailing wheels mounted on said stub-axles, an annular ring 'rotatably mounted below said first mentioned ring,

ball bearings interposed between these two annular rings, a platform mounted on'said second ring, a motor mounted on said rotatable platform, bearings projecting downwardly from said rotatable ring, an axle j ournaled in said bearings, a traction wheel mounted on said axle, and mechanism constructed .-t0 operatively connect said motor to said traction wheel.

2. In a traction engine, the combination, ofa-main frame, said main frame comprising aforwardly located annular ring, rearwardly extending lugs on said annular. ring, beams connected to said lugs, a cross bar con-' structed to connect the rear extremities of said beams, a downwardly extending support at each rear end of said beams, stubaxles projecting laterally from said downwardly projecting supports, trailing wheels mounted on said stub-axles, a traction wheel at the forward end of said main frame constructed to support the forward end of said frame, a motor on said main frame, and;

mechanism constructed to operatively connect said motor to saidtraction wheel.

3 In a traction engine, a main frame, said mam frame having trailing wheels at its rear end, a single traction wheel at the forward end of said main frame, means at the forward end of said main frame constructed to move said traction wheel obliquely to the longitudinal center line of said main frame to either side thereof, a motor mounted on said main frame, said motor being constructed to move in unison with the oblique movements of said traction wheel, and mechanism constructed to operatively connect said motor to said traction wheel, said mechanism including an engine crank shaft, a driven shaft on which said traction wheel is medially mounted, a pair of bevel gear wheels, said bevel gear wheels being loosely mounted on said engine shaft, an obliquely disposed driven shaft, said driven shaft having at one end a bevel gear wheel meshing with said pair of bevel gear wheels, a worm at the other end of said oblique shaft, a worm wheel on the aforesaid driven shaft meshing with said worm, and clutch mechanism splined tosaid engine shaft and constructed to engage one or the other of said pair of bevel gear wheels.

4. In a traction engine, a main frame, said main frame having at its forward end an annular ring, said annular ring having cogs at its inner margin, said annular ring having a U-shaped transverse section, a second annular ring rotatably mounted underneath the first-mentioned annular ring, said latter annular ring having an annular upstanding said second annular ring, a shaft rotatably ;mounted in said bearings, a traction Wheel medially fixed to said shaft, a motor operatively connected to said shaft, and means constructed to rotate the lower annular ring.

5. In a traction engine, the combination, of a main frame, an annular ring fixed to said main frame at its forward end, a second annular ring rotatably connected to, and below, said fixed ring, bearings depending from said rotatable ring, a traction wheel shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, a traction wheel medially fixed to said shaft, a platform above said fixed ring, said platform being connected to said rotatable ring to rotate therewith, a motor mounted on said platform above said traction wheel, gearing connecting said motor to said traction wheel shaft, means for rotating said traction wheel shaft in either forward, or reverse direction, and means for rotating the rotatable annular ring. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. leUF DER HAAR. 

